1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container that dispenses pre-moistened sheets. More particularly, the present invention relates to a container having an orifice for dispensing one pre-moistened sheet at a time from a stack or roll of sheets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are containers presently available for the purpose of dispensing or emitting a pre-moistened sheet, towelette, or wipe from either a continuous roll or a separately folded stack of sheets.
Pre-moistened sheets, towelettes, or wipes are typically packaged in one of two types of containers, namely a canister or a box. In the canister, the sheets are wound into a continuous roll and perforated to facilitate separation of each sheet from the roll. Sheets are removed from the canister through a dispensing orifice. In the box, the sheets are individually folded and stacked on top of each other. Each sheet is dispensed by opening the lid of the box, reaching in, and removing the top sheet from the stack.
There are inherent problems with both of these types of packages. With the canister, the force needed to separate a sheet from the roll is such that the act of dispensing a sheet is a two-hand operation, one hand to hold the canister, and one hand to pull out the sheet. With the box, a person can reach in with one hand and grab a sheet, but several sheets are often withdrawn at a time because the moisture in the sheets makes the sheets stick together. It is also difficult to find the leading edge of the top sheet.
In an attempt to resolve these dispensing problems, there have been some recent changes to both container designs and the way that the sheets are folded. One design still has the sheets perforated, but they are folded instead of being wound into a roll. The perforations on these wipes are somewhat easier to break than on a canister type package, so that the wipes can generally be dispensed with one hand.
A further improvement is interfolding of the sheets. Interfolding has been used for many years on dry products such as facial tissues. Now, it is being used with moist sheets. Interfolded sheets are easier to dispense than perforated sheets because interfolded sheets lack perforations. However, there are still problems associated with interfolded sheets. Often, such wipes do not dispense one at a time, especially at the bottom of a stack of pre-moistened sheets where each sheet holds more moisture.
Many dispensing problems for interfolded sheets can be attributed to the dispensing orifice. Generally, the dispensing orifices that are commercially available for interfolded sheets have high failure rates. One of the most common problems associated with these orifices is a phenomenon called xe2x80x9cropingxe2x80x9d, wherein more than one sheet is dispensed through the orifice at a time. The number of sheets improperly dispensed per roping incident typically ranges from two to ten. However, the number of improperly dispensed sheets can be much higher depending on the orifice configuration. For example, tests show that a dispensing container with a common Y-shaped orifice will have an average of about ten roping incidents before the container is empty. On average, about ten sheets are improperly dispensed per roping incident. The common H-shaped orifice arguably performs a little better, since it improperly dispenses, on average, about three sheets per roping incident. However, the common H-shaped orifice has an average of about thirteen roping incidents.
Clearly, there is a need for an improved dispensing orifice for pre-moistened, folded sheets, whose orifice prevents roping.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a dispensing container for pre-moistened sheets.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a dispensing container with a dispensing orifice that minimizes improper dispensing of pre-moistened sheets.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a dispensing orifice as described herein. The edge surfaces of the orifice define a breadth and a width for the orifice. The ratio of the minimum breadth of the orifice to the thickness of a dispensed sheet is preferably about 8:1 to about 18:1. The ratio of the width of a dispensed sheet to the maximum width of the orifice is preferably about 2:1 to about 5:1. In a preferred embodiment, at least one side of the orifice is curved. Moreover, at least one of the sides of the orifice preferably has a plurality of nodules extending a distance into the orifice. If there are nodules, the ratio of the minimum breadth of the orifice to the distance that the nodules extend into the orifice is preferably about 2:1 to about 8:1.